13th November, 2018
PRESS RELEASE:
UI HIJAB BAN IS AN INVITATION TO CHAOS
The principal of the University of
Ibadan International School (UIIS), Mrs. Phebean Olowe recently banned the use
of hijab by female Muslim students of the school. The ban provoked Muslim
parents who protested at the gates of the school yesterday, Monday 12th
November, 2018.
In its characteristic intervention, the
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) described the ban as an invitation to chaos and a
threat to girl-child education. MURIC’s intervention was expressed in a press
statement issued on Tuesday 13th November, 2018.
According to MURIC, “Mrs.
Phebean Olowe is a failure in administration. She is out of touch with reality.
She has failed to properly read the barometer. She is reeling out draconian and
anachronistic decrees reminiscent of colonial days. This principal is retarding
the progress of UIIS. She can only be an agent of destabilization to have
behaved this way. This is the 21st century for crying out loud.
Where does she think she is?
“We are surprised that at a
time when the whole world is struggling to boost girl-child education and reduce
the number of out-of-school children, a female school administrator of her
status is issuing anti-girl-child education directives. It is such a shame.
Britain and America are encouraging the wearing of hijab in their schools but
here we find a school administrator constituting herself into a cog in the
wheel of progress particularly in the area of girl-child education. Can this be
attributed to lack of exposure? This principal is in dire need of a sabbatical
leave outside Nigeria.
“She should have known
that UIIS is an elitist academic environment where all the parents (Christians
or Muslims) know their rights. Many of the Muslim parents are staff of the
university. Why must she chew more than she can swallow? Why must she bring an
alien, parochial and archaic agenda to an academic setting? This is obviously a
failure in administration.
“A good administrator will consult
parents before taking such a sensitive decision and there are a lot of
opportunities for her to do that. Religion is a sensitive matter. She must have
a hidden agenda otherwise she would not have made such an attempt in view of
the proliferation of hijab stories in the news. No school administrator worth
the salt will issue an anti-hijab instruction in view of recent events around
the country unless such a principal is from Mars or Mercury”.
MURIC commended the parents who
participated in the peaceful protest at the school gate. According to Professor
Ishaq Akintola, the director of MURIC who signed the press statement, “Peaceful
protest is an extention of dialogue where there are grievances to address. It
is an Allah-given fundamental right of all citizens. Nobody has the right to
take it from us.
“We hail the Muslim parents of UIIS for
standing up in loco parentis. These parents have refused to abdicate their
responsibilities. They have a duty to educate their children and to monitor
their progress as prescribed in Qur’an 2:233. They have successfully done that.
They also have a duty to protect their children from abuse, stigma and
religious discrimination. They have proved that they are capable of doing that.
We are proud of them.
“We are particularly happy with these
parents for the peaceful manner in which they conducted their protest. They
have proved beyond any iota of doubt that they are true ambassadors of Islam.
The adherents of the religion of peace cannot afford to eschew the path of
peace. We assure them of our full support. MURIC will keenly monitor the progress
of this matter.
“We appeal to the management of the University
of Ibadan (UI) to intervene in this matter. It should not be allowed to
escalate. UI is a center of academic excellence. The authorities should not
allow administrative shenanigans and educational charlatans to turn its
International School into a center for religious apartheid. It is high time
UIIS realized that Nigerian Muslims have come of age.
“We call on the school principal to face
reality. Nigeria belongs to all of us. We should learn to coexist. Muslims will
no longer accept a situation whereby everything is designed to suit Christians
and Muslims are left to choose between accepting the Christian way of life or
abandoning education. The Nigerian school uniform was designed by Christian colonial
masters. It is therefore a manifestation of neo-imperialism cum totalitarian
dictatorship to force Muslim children to wear Christian uniforms. It smacks of
lack of religious tolerance. Mrs. Phebean Olowe should resign if she cannot
tolerate the sight of female Muslim children in hijab because she is going to
be seeing quite a lot of them these days.
“Finally, we appeal to Muslims in the
city of Ibadan and Oyo State in particular as well as all over Nigeria to
remain calm and law abiding. We should give the UI management the benefit of
doubt and the opportunity to wade into the matter. However, all Muslim parents are
advised to remain alert because eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. Aluta continua because it is not yet
Uhuru”.
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).
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